Phylogenetic investigation of mimicry complexes in Dasymutilla (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae)

Dasymutilla species are well known for their bright setal and integumental color patterns. These color patterns are often nearly identical among seemingly unrelated taxa from the same geographic regions, forming possible mimicry complexes. Potential mimicry complexes examined in this study occur in three regions: the eastern United States, central and southern Texas, and the combined Great Plains and Colorado Plateau. We suspect that at least seven different lineages within Dasymutilla have either species or geographic forms that fit these mimicry complexes. Molecular phylogenetic analyses are used to show that distinct color patterns in these regions are a by-product of convergence rather than homology, suggesting multiple origins of each color pattern possibly driven by selection pressures on mimicry.